Colonials, Red Raiders should be an athletic showdown
Jonathan Guth | Herald-Standard
Uniontown’s Kam Fitzgerald takes a shot as teammate Cedric Greer gets a hand up during the first day of practice on Nov. 17 at AJ Everhart Memorial Gymnasium. Fitzgerald, Greer and the Red Raiders play Albert Gallatin tonight in the season opener.
Jonathan Guth | Herald-Standard
Albert Gallatin’s Nate Bricker calls for the ball during the Colonials’ practice on Nov. 20. The Colonials open their season tonight against Uniontown at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
Albert Gallatin and Uniontown are featured in the main event this evening at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, in the Fayette County Coaches Association Tip-Off Tournament.
The Herald-Standard has chosen the contest as its first Game of the Week this basketball season, with highlights and post-game interviews being available on the web.
The final match-up caps off a tripleheader of basketball that opens with Laurel Highlands and Waynesburg Central followed by Connellsville and Woodlands Hills.
“High school basketball in this area is exciting and to feature four teams from Fayette County is exciting,” Uniontown coach Rob Kezmarsky said. “We hope that we can give the fans an exciting game.
“Laurel Highlands has a Division I player and Connellsville features a Division II player, so it will be exciting to watch those two teams as well. I am going to watch the other games to scout, but also as a fan. Mr. (Mark) John does so much for this tournament and this committee.”
The Red Raiders rallied from 11-point deficit to win the opener last season, 67-59, but the Colonials and head coach Shea Fleenor feel like they match-up well with Uniontown’s athleticism.
“They may be athletic but we are, too,” Fleenor said. “We’ve got a lot of length. More so than we’ve had in the past. Colby Uphold is a legit 6-3 playing the wing. Matt Rankin is around 6-3/6-4 and long and (Nate) Bricker playing inside. Matt and Colby are two of our most athletic players.
“Then you start talking about guys like Javon Davis, Justin Filippone and James Peggues. I am not scared going athletically against anybody this year. This is by far the most athletic team we’ve had since I’ve been here. We also know that they have guys that can make shots, so we have to be aware of that as well.”
It is no secret that Uniontown plans on using its press to disrupt Albert Gallatin’s offense and score in transition, but Kezmarsky’s group has the potential to knock down jump shots.
“We feel like we can shoot, and we know teams will probably stay in a zone a great deal, so we need to shoot our way out of it, and I think we can do that,” Kezmarsky said. “Myself and coach (Warare) Gladman couldn’t have asked for a better offseason from these kids. They have worked really hard and are ready for a game.
“Even though Albert Gallatin lost a great player in Tavian Mozie (graduated), they will be fighting for a playoff spot, in my opinion. They do a great job with their 1-2-2 trap and zone, plus they play tough man-to-man defense. I feel like we are very similar to them with some seniors, but also a lot of sophomores. They also have a freshman at point guard.”
Fleenor echoed Kezmarsky’s comments regarding the two teams being similar.
“It is kind of weird how we mirror each other in a lot of ways,” Fleenor said. “They have Trent Uphold, who has a ton of experience and has been a really good player for them. We know he’s a threat.
“Kam Fitzgerald is one of those guys that’s worked and worked and worked to get better. He had games last year where he kind of exploded, and we know he can make shots, and when he does, he makes them in bunches.
“Mello Grooms is a very physical kid even though he is not the biggest on the court. He is athletic, has a motor and plays extremely hard. They are sort of like us with those three older guys, but they also have the younger guys. They may have more younger guys coming off the bench than us. It will be a fun game to coach in.”
The Colonials’ Nate English is the first freshman to start for Fleenor is his tenure at Albert Gallatin.
“Nate (English) is the first time we’ve ever had a freshman starting at any position,” Fleenor said. “I thought he had two solid scrimmages, and even though this is going to be Nate’s first start under the lights in a varsity uniform, Nate’s played a lot of basketball.
“He plays a ton of AAU basketball and he’s played against high-level competition and is a gym rat. He doesn’t carry himself like a normal freshman. He may be a little nervous the first few minutes of the game, but I don’t think it will affect his play.”
Uniontown’s tradition is well known in the area and Kezmarsky is proud of it and wants his players to be as well, but also wants the current Red Raiders to establish their own legacy.
“Obviously, we are very proud of the rich basketball tradition here and want to carry that on, but every year and every team is different,” Kezmarsky said. “We want to add to the tradition. Our kids want to build off of last year. The kids have improved and are excited to start the season.”